Electric switch



June 2,

F. BALINT ELECTRIC SWITCH Z7 "az 26 Filed March 17, 1924 ATTORNEYSPatented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES FRANK BALINT, F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed March 17, 1924. Serial No. 699,740.

To all whom it may cof/wem: o Be it known that FRANK BALTNT, a subjectof Hungary, and resident ofk Bridgeport, in the county of Fairiield andState of Connecticut. has invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Electric Switches, of which the following is ya speciication.

This invention relates to anv improved switch for use particularly withautomobile stop and direction signalling devices, and has for an objectto provide a switch of this character which will be simple and reliablein construction and operation, and by means r of which a series ofsignalling elements may be koperated in succession.

A further obJect 1s to provlde a switch in which a switch lever willmake contact ink one direction of movement, and will move out of contactin the other direction, so that `no, reversal of signals will occur, andfurther to provide improved means for lmaking and breaking the battery.circuit, when desired. f

With the above and other objects in view, an embodiment of the inventionis shown in the accompanying drawings, and thisembodiment will behereinafter more :fully described with reference thereto, and theinvention will be finally pointed out inV the claims. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is afront elevation of a switch device, according to the presentembodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation kof the same;

3 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line3`3 ofl Fig. 2; n

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;,o

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, and showing the yhandle portion of theswitch lever in inoperative position;

Fig. 6 is a frontelevation of a modified switchk adapted to bekconnected to the foot brake to be operated thereby; and p Fig. 7 is adiagrammatic view showing the two switches and the signalling elements,and the wiring arrangement. y

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral iiguresy of the drawings. y

Referringl to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention showntherein comu prises a casing 10 of substantially semicircular formadapted vto be secured to a dash by lugs 11 and' 12, and provided in itsperiphery. with a slot 13 in which the switch lever is adapted to move.The casing is provided at one side with a series of spaced contacts 1X1,15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 arranged in an arc and insulated from saidside of the casing by insulating .plates 21 and 22 secured at each sidethereof by the threaded Shanks of the contacts and terminal wireretaining nuts 23 screwed thereon. An arcuate battery contact 24 is alsoprovided in inwardly spaced relation to said series of spaced contacts,and is secured by a nut 25 engaged upon its threaded shank.

The switchlever is loosely pivoted upon a transverse shaft 26 mounted inthe casing, and comprises an insulating block 27 carrying a contactpiece 28 at one side adapted to span and ycontact with the spacedcontacts and thecontact 24;, and a metal back 29 secured at the otherside and having a portion 30 kextended through the slot 13. A spacercollar 31 is disposed between the lever and insulating plate 21 and thelever is yieldably pressed into engagement with the contacts by a spring32 coiled about the shaft 26, while a bowed leaf spring 33, mounted uponthe shaft and held against the lever bythe spring 32, presses againstthe upper portion of the lever between retaining lugs 34 to yieldablymaintain the lever in right-angular position with respect to the shaft.

At the upper end of the leverthere is hingedly mounted a handle 35yieldably held in its'upright operative position (Fig. 2), or in itsforwardly moved inoperative position (Fig. 5), by a fiat spring 36rsecured to the lever and engaging the fiat rear side of the handle insaid upright position, and the flat lower end in said forwardly movedinoperative position.

In said forwardly moved position the handle engages in the opening of abifurcated plate 37 secured upon the casing 10 to hold the lever againstswinging movement in either direction, and at the same time camming lugs38 disposed at each side of the handle above the pivot engage the innerface of the plate 37 and force the lever rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 5,thereby disengaging the switch lever` contactsv 28 from the battery andspaced contacts and rendering the switch inoperative, the cir cuit tothe battery being broken.

The contact 14 is connected to a brake Uli operated* stop signal switch,hereinafter more `fully ret'erred to, so that in the upright position otthe switch lever (Figs. 1 and 2) the circuit from the battery tothebrake switch is closed by engagement or' the contact 2S with thecontacts 24 and 14, while in the inoperative position, (Fig. thiscircuit is broken and the'brake switch rendered inoperative. in thesignal operating.

position of the switch lever, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. S,the circuit to the brake switch is opened, so that this switch will beinoperative during operation ot the other signal means.

Upon the inner peripheral surface ot the casing, and at each side ot thecentral position ot the switch lever. arcnately disposed inclined leafsprings 39 are secured at their upper ends by means of brackets 40, andupon the portion 30 of the switch lever there is provided a lug 41having. a right angnlarly bent end adapted as the switch lever is swungdownwardly at either side. to engage upon the surface ot the spring 39adjacent the contacts, the spring being sprung rearwardly by thisengage-y ment until released in the extreme moved position otthe lever,as indicated in dotted lines in F10: 3, the end ot the sii-1nnr thenbeing forwardly ot the lug 41. Upon return movement ot the switch leverthe lug' will therefore engage the rear side of the spring, therebycamining the switch lever ont ot' engagement with the contacts toprevent a reverse operation ot the, signals.

In Fig. G there is illustrated a term ot stop signal operating` brakeactuated switch, according to the invention, comprising a casing 42 ofsubstantially semi-circular form, having' a slot 43 in its periphery inwhich the switch lever 44, pivoted upon a shaft 45, is adapted to move,being normally held in its inoperative position by a spring 4t andadapted to be swung to operative position, np'onmovement ot the `tootbrake, by means oi a wire a? connected to the toot brake rod. A' pairoit spaced arcuately disposed contacts 4S and 49 are provided on oneside of the casing, the contact 48 adapt ed-1 to connect with an audiblesignal, and the contact 49 to a visible signal, and in inwardly spacedrelation thereto, there is provided an elongated battery Contact 50, theswitch le'vercarrying an elongated,insulated contact piece 51 adapted tospan4 the battery contact and the contacts 48 and 49, to first close thecircuit ot the audible signal and then close the circuit of the visible'signal. In' order to disengage' the switch from the contacts duringreturn movement to thereby prevent reverse operation otthe signals, alea't spring camming member 52, similar to the' camming springs 39, isprovided upon the inner peripheral surface of the casing and' is engagedby a: lng 53v on the lever'to engage the contacts in one direction oin'iovement and to disengage them' in the other direction of movement.

Asshown diagraminatically in Fig. i', the switches are adapted to beconnected to an andib. signal, as a horn 54, a visible signal,`

lamp 55, and lett and right signal. den 56 and 5'?, the lighting' olEthe lamp adapted to indicate Stop, and the lamp also adapted to helighted during actuation of the Lett and Right signals to illnniinatcthem.

The wiring arrangement is as follows:

A lead from the battery is connected to the contact 24, and a lead 5S)extends troni the Contact 4 of the dash switch to the contact of thebrakel switch, so that the brake s itch may be disconnected from thebatteryv .by swinging the handle 35 to the inoperative position, (Fig.5) and also during movement of the same to either the right or lettsignal operating positions, so that only one signal will be operativeat' a time. The horn 54 is connected by leads 60 to the horn contacts15, 1S and 48 of the dash and brake switches, and the lamp 55 by leads61 to the light contacts 16, 19 and 49 of the two switches, while theleft and right signal devices are connected'by leads G2 and 63 to theleft and right contacts 20` and 1? of the dash switch.

Upon operating the brake, the brake switch is actuated to first soundthe horn and thereupon light the lamp 55. By moving the dash switch tothe lett or right the horn is first sounded, the lamp then lighted, andthe lett or right signal devices, as the case may be, are operated, thelamp' continuing to be lighted during the operating of said signaldevices, the Contact piece 28 engaging both the light and signa-lcontacts in the moved position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

l. have illustrated and described aJ preferred and satisfactoryembodiment ot the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may bemade therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A switch of the character described, comprising a casing, a seriesofvspaced' contacts in said casing, a pivoted switch lever normally inengagement with one of said contacts and adapted to be movedl intoengagement with, the others, locking means adapted to he actuated toprevent swinging movement of said lever, and means adapted to move saidlever out of engagement with said contact, normally engaged thereby, insaidv locked position of the lever.

2. A switch of the' character described, con'iprising" a' casing, aseries of spaced conloo taets in said casing, a pivoted switch levery'normally in engagement With one of said (,ontacts and adapted to bemoved into engagement with the others, a pivoted eXtension on saidlever, looking means on said easing, said extension adapted to beengaged therewith to lock the switch lever against swinging movement,and cam means adapted to move said lever ont of engagement with saidContact, normally engaged thereby, in said locked position of the lever.

3. A switch of the character described, comprising a casing, a series ofspaced eontaets in said easing, a transverse shaft mounted in saideasing, a switch lever loosely and pivotally mounted on said shaft,Spring means on said shaft adapted to normally maintain said lever in aright angular relation to said shaft and in yielding engagen'lent Withsaid contacts, said switch. lever being normally in engagement with oneof said contacts and adapted to be moved into engagement with theothers,

`locking means adapted to be actuated to prevent swinging movement ofsaid lever, and means adapted to move said lever against the force ofsaid spring means out oi engagement with said Contact, normally engagedthereby, in said locked position of the lever.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, this 14th day of March A. D., 19251..

FRANK BALINT.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK SZUR, C. M. NEWMAN.

